Selvage-heddle frame.



UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS D. WILMARTH, OF SAUNDERSVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SELVAG E-HYEDD LE FRAM E.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 686,569, dated November12, 1901.

Application filed February 8, 1901. Serial No. 46,558. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS D. WILMARTH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Saundersville, in the county of Worcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Selvage-Heddle Frame, ofwhich the following is a specification. This invention relates to animproved construction for supporting and operating the selvage-heddlesof looms; and the especial objects of this invention are to provide aframe or support for carrying selvage-heddles which is arranged so as tosupport the operating strain and which is constructed so that the samecan be readily repaired or the heddles threaded onto or'removedtherefrom as may be required.

To these ends this invention consists of the construction for supportingand operating the selvage-heddles in looms and of the combinations ofparts therewith, as hereinafter described, and more particularly pointedout in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view illustrating thepreferred form of my construction. Fig. 2. is a similar View showing thebody portion of the frame bent or sprung, so as to permit the heddles tobe threaded thereon or removed therefrom, as indicated by dotted lines;and Fig. 3 is a side View illustrating a modified form of construction.

To form the selvages at the opposite edges of a piece of cloth which iswoven in a loom, a number of heavy warp-threads are usually employed ateach side. heddles, through which the selvage-threads pass, have usuallybeen threaded into or fastened into saddle-pieces at their oppositeends, which saddle-pieces are connected to the cam mechanism andreturning-springs for raising and lowering the selvage-heddles. This inpractice I have found to be objectionable, as the heddles are usuallysupported so that they are liable to become twisted or snarled together,and in any event the entire strain of operation is brought upon theheddles themselves, while the ordinary construction does not allow theheddles to be readily re placed or renewed. To overcome these defects,lhave provided a construction in which the selvage-thread heddles arecarried in a The selvage-threadframe, in which the heddles are mountedso that they are not liable to twist together, and instead of having thestrain of operation borne by the heddles the strain of operation istaken upon the frame, which may be made as strong as necessary and whichis constructed so that the heddles can quickly be threaded onto orremoved therefrom when it is desired to replace broken heddles or varythe number of selvage-thread heddles employed.

In Figs. 1 and 2, which illustrate the preferred form of myconstruction, the frame is formed from a single piece of spring-wire andcomprises a spring body portion A, having loops or return-bends B at itsends. ing from the loops B are arms 0, forming supports or heddle-rods,which may be threaded through the eyes of a number of heddles, as shown,the ends of the wire being bent, as at D, to hold the heddles in place.Engaging the loops B at the ends of the spring body portion A are hooksE, which may be connected to the operating connections and to thereturning-spring in the ordinary manner.

In using this construction when it is desired to remove or replace theheddles the spring body portion may be flexed or bent, as illustrated inFig. 2, or in practice more frequently at right angles to the positionillustrated in Fig. 2, so that the heddle-rods G will be brought closertogether, permitting the heddles to be removed or replaced, asillustrated by dotted lines.

Instead of making my heddle-supporting frame from springwire the same,ifpreferred, can be formed from sheet metal, and I have illustrated such aconstruction in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 3, the device may comprise asheet-metal body portion F, having eyesG at its opposite ends forreceiving the operating connections and having extending arms orintegral heddle-rods H with projections or lips Ifor holding the heddlesin place'thereon. In order to remove or replace the heddles upon theheddle-rods H, the sheet-metal body portion F instead of being bent orflexed as illustrated in Fig 2 is bent or flexed sidewise.

I am aware that changes may be made in the construction of my device forsupporting and operating the selvage-heddles in looms and in the mannerin which the heddles are removed from or replaced thereon withoutExtenddeparting from the scope of my invention as expressed in theclaims. I do not wish, therefore, to be limited to the forms I haveherein shown and described; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. As an article of manufacture, a frame for operating theselvage-heddles of a loom, comprising arms or heddle-rods with aflexible body between them which may be bent or flexed when the heddlesare to be removed from or replaced onto the arms, substantially asdescribed.

2. As an article of manufacture, a selvageheddle frame for use inconnection with, and in addition to the ordinary heddle-frames,comprising an upright or body portion located entirely at one side ofthe selvage-heddles, extending arms or lieddle-rods on which the heddlesare strung, and means for connecting the body portion with the operatingdevices, said parts being arranged so that the strain of operation willbe borne by the frame, substantially as described 3. As an article ofmanufacture, a springwire heddle-frame for operating the selvageheddlesof looms, comprising a spring body portion having return-bends at itsends, with extending arms or heddle-rods for engaging the eyes of theheddles, the ends of the wire being bent to form stops for retaining theheddles in place, and said parts being arranged so that the body portionthereof may be bent or flexed when the heddles are to be removed orreplaced, substantially as described.

4. As an article of manufacture, a spring- Wire frame for supporting andoperating the selvage heddles of a loom, comprising a spring bodyportion A, having return-bends B at its ends, with projecting arms 0forming heddle-rods for receiving the eyes of the beddles, the ends ofthe wire being bent to form stops D for holding the heddles in place,and hooks E for connecting the frame to the operating devices, saidparts being arranged so that by bending or flexing the body portion A,the heddles may be removed or replaced, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

THOMAS D. WILMART l-I. Witnesses:

LOUIS W. SOUTHGATE, PHILIP W. SOUTHGATE.

